Listen. See. Smell. Taste. Feel. Five senses that for us humans represent the gateway to the world around us. Through them we can grasp, understand, feel, and perceive our surroundings. Try to imagine what the world would look like if we were only allowed to experience it through one of our senses at a time? In my eyes, the result would be a monotonous and one-dimensional picture. It is the interaction and connection of several senses that make up the richness of facets and the depth of our experience. The concept of my master's project and research, which aims to unite the various timbres and sounds of the saxophone with visual arts, is based on precisely this view.
This research is based on the cross-modal perception of visual and auditory sensory impressions within the setting of a live performance. By doing specific artistic research, I would like to address whether and subsequently how music and visual arts can be combined, how they interact, and delve into their reciprocal resonances. Based on this knowledge, a personal and subjective interpretation and concept of this synergy should arise, with the creative help of the artist Damiano Colombi. By using these artistic, scientific insights, we want to craft our own dialogue between these two disciplines, creating a unique multisensory performance that combines sound and image in a powerful and engaging synergy. The 70-minute performance aims to guide the audience on a journey through the timbre of the saxophone, exploring its transformations into images.
1.1 Concept and personal motivation
The concept of "Ebb/Flow" is inspired by the idea of continuous movement and exchange between music and visual arts, evoking both sound waves, a fundamental physical element of music, and Colombi's fluid and dynamic painting technique. Much like the natural ebb and flow of tides, our work represents a continuous interaction between music and visual arts, creating a synergy that is both harmonious and ever-evolving. The goal is to maintain a balance between the two disciplines, allowing each to enrich the other without overshadowing it. This title beautifully reflects the spirit of our collaboration, emphasizing the unique and ongoing connection, where music and visuals constantly respond to one another.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by art and the possibilities of expressing one's feelings through colours, shapes, shades, and more. Alongside my love for music, I’ve always had a deep interest in the visual arts, and I spent a lot of time painting and experimenting with different mediums. If you think about it, this connection between music and visual arts isn’t too far apart. Both forms allow for emotional expression and creativity in unique ways. Since my idea for my professional future includes active music-making in correlation with other artistic disciplines, I came up with the idea of creating a concept that would offer the audience a special and unique concert experience, one that blends the two artistic domains in an innovative way.
1.3 Methodology
My research methodology for exploring the synergy between music and visual arts combines a review of existing literature with practical, creative experimentation. This approach helps me understand what has already been created and found out while generating new insights through personal, practice-based exploration.
The first phase of the research included a review of literature, focusing on scientific publications and artistic and musical studies on the connections between sound and image, to identify past and present approaches to this synergy. This background research revealed what has already been accomplished and helped to recognize opportunities for new exploration.
The substantial and central part of the research though is dedicated to personal experimentation in collaboration with the visual artist Colombi. We held several creative sessions where musical and visual elements were developed together, allowing real-time interaction between the two disciplines. This practice-based approach lead to an extensive exchange of ideas, as we explored how visual elements like colour, movement, and form can influence music and vice versa. Through each experimental stage we documented our process, reflections, and outcomes, analyzing how each discipline enhances or overcomes the other.
1.4 My musical approach
One of the most exciting aspects of this creative process was stepping into it without knowing exactly where it would lead. This uncertainty extended to the music itself, which developed organically throughout the project, shaped by both spontaneous improvisation and structured compositions.
A piece that accompanied me throughout this journey was the Sonate en Ut# (C-sharp) for alto saxophone and piano by Fernande Decruck. This work has always been one of my favorites due to its rich palette of colours and expressive depth. Consisting of four movements, it presents a variety of contrasting characters, yet everything remains interconnected, forming a cohesive musical narrative. Additionally, as a standard in the saxophone repertoire, the piece serves as a reference point, allowing me to showcase the instrument’s expressive possibilities, especially for audiences unfamiliar with its literature. In particular, I found myself returning often to the first movement, as it beautifully showcases a wonderful mix of different timbres and expressive contrasts. It features slow, long legato phrases that highlight the lyrical qualities of the saxophone, while also including more energetic, intense passages that bring out its agility and intensity. This interplay of textures and emotions made it a key element in my exploration of sound and visual interactions throughout this project.
Beyond this composition, improvisation played a fundamental role in my exploration, particularly when interacting with the digital live visuals. To fully understand how music and visuals influence each other, I focused on breaking music down into simple, contrasting elements, pushing them to extremes in order to observe their effects. Through this process, I gained a deeper understanding of how to create a meaningful dialogue between sound and image. At a later stage, my improvisational approach found structure and direction through Ryo Noda’s alto saxophone solo piece Improvisation 1. This piece not only embraces extended techniques, such as flutter-tonguing and pitch bending, but also leaves a significant amount of interpretative freedom regarding tempo, pauses, and phrasing. Incorporating this composition into my process allowed me to bridge the gap between improvisation and structured musical elements, reinforcing the connection between spontaneous creation and composed material.
This journey of musical exploration, moving between improvisation and composition, ultimately shaped the way I approached the interplay between sound and visual elements. It deeply influenced my artistic practice throughout this research and experimentation, transforming it into a constantly evolving dialogue between the two artistic disciplines. It was important for me to highlight this aspect, as it truly guided me through the entire research and project. Furthermore, the most significant reflections on my musical practice and my artistic identity within this project can be found in Chapter 6. Conclusion and reflection.
1.5 Inspirations for interdisciplinary exploration
During the research and collaboration, Colombi and I explored various sources of inspiration to guide our work, carefully considering what had already been done in the field and seeking new directions. As we delved deeper into the concept of interdisciplinarity, we found that looking at works that blend music, visuals, and technology sparked new ideas for our own project. Below, I share three influential figures and examples that particularly resonated with us:
Lucio Arese is an artist, composer, guitarist, visual artist, and filmmaker, who creates visual forms and shapes using his electric guitar. His approach of generating dynamic visuals through sound was particularly inspiring, as it aligned with our own exploration of how sound can influence and shape visual arts. His work demonstrated the potential of combining sound and image in real-time, an idea that we were eager to experiment with in our own collaboration.
The artist, performer, and musician Chagall uses music and technology to create innovative audio-visual performances. It was particularly interesting to see that she was invited to the Dutch Design Week in October 2024, a festival known for showcasing cutting-edge work in design and technology. Although we had initially planned to attend, we ultimately decided against it due to financial limitations and because the workshop was primarily focused on light interaction, which wasn’t our main area of interest. Nevertheless, her ability to blend music with lights through technology has significantly influenced our approach.
Steven Mark Kübler is a visual artist and interaction designer whose works and interactive installations have greatly inspired us. One particular piece that stood out to us was exhibited at the Museum Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck. I discovered this installation through friends who had visited the museum, and its interactive nature and the way it engaged visitors was fascinating. It sparked ideas about how we might integrate similar interaction into our own work, particularly how audience engagement could influence the art in real-time.
